TRANSAT Québec- Saint-Malo, a photo essay

The transatlantic race between Quebec City and Saint Malo, France was first held in 1984, to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's first voyage to Quebec. Since then, the TRANSAT has been held every four years, and is unique as "the only continuous west-to-east offshore crewed race in the world." Organized by Voile Internationale Québec, the race aims to celebrate nautical heritage, and "seeks to promote the sport of sailing on the St. Lawrence River and to foster economic and cultural ties between the cities of Québec and Saint-Malo." Curious spectators and race fans flocked to Wharf 5 at Bassin Louise, to view the boats competing in this year's TRANSAT Quebec-St. Malo. Over 200,000 spectators are expected in to come to this event organized by Gestev, which is certified under the BNQ 9700-253 for responsible event management. They are particularly pleased to announce that the event will be "zero-impact," due to eco-responsible methods and partnerships which include the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

\The race traverses the Atlantic Ocean for a distance of nearly 3,000 nautical miles (over 5,000 km). The first section, 376 nautical miles (696 km) along the St.